I am particularly proud of a group of my co-students (as we refer to one another) in our Sustainable Tourism Topics II course of the Spring 2008 term at Universidad del Caribe (www.unicaribe.edu.mx ), the public university in Cancun.  These wonderfully talented people have just accomplished a number of firsts for our university, with these being:

• the first book ever written by students at Universidad del Caribe;
• the first e-book produced at UCaribe; and
• the first English-language book written at the university.

Their book is entitled:

México and Sustainable Development:Ideas founded in youth. /

México y Desarrollo Sustentable:Ideas encontradas en los jovenes.

In this Internet e-book, which is being translated in to Spanish, the students explain the concept and practice of sustainable development, and generally detail México’s progress in this area.  They also discuss some of the pressing social, environmental and economic realities of México, and offer solutions to these through the lens of sustainable development.

This e-book should be an informative read for any one interested in the unique cultural and social realities of México, as examined through sustainable development and the eyes of a new, young, generation of Mexicans. The students discuss such traditionally uncomfortable subjects as police corruption, wealth inequality, political nepotism, the nearing end of México’s oil resources and potential consequences for México, population control, the “brain drain” of Mexicans to the USA, environmental laws printed on paper but not enforced in reality, and the Mexican concept of family. Particularly engaging is the students’ developed list of “20 essential elements for building a sustainably strong society”, which includes “Trust” at the top of their list.

The book’s reference and web-link is as follows:

Salas Velázquez, Gabriela et al (2008). México and Sustainable Development: Ideas founded in youth. In: Thomas C. Esakin (ed.) “Sustainable México” [online]. Cancun, México: Universidad del Caribe. Available from: http://sustainable-mexico.wikispaces.com/

If these ten students represent the future of México, then México and its people have much to look forward to.

I warmly invite you to read this book of a new and impressive generation of Mexicans, to then learn more about sustainable development and México.

Thomas